Friday, September 30, 2011

On Saturday, I mentioned that the recent movie, “Thor,” has been nominated for recognition at this year’s Scream Awards, which got me to wondering about what movies have brought home Scream Awards in the past.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Scream Awards, don’t feel bad. They haven’t been around for long. The inaugural Spike TV Scream Awards were held on Oct. 10, 2006, and this year’s Scream Awards, officially known as “Scream Awards 2011,” is Spike TV’s sixth annual “celebration of the sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic book genres and the actors, creators, icons and pioneers who have influenced and shaped the industry over the past year.”

The award categories have changed over the years, and what follows is a selection of the movie, TV and book awards that have been handed out since 2006.

You won’t have to wait long to see who will win this year’s slate of Scream Awards, because this year’s awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on Oct. 15 at Universal Studios. The show will be broadcast on Oct. 18 on Spike TV.

In the end, which of the movies, TV shows and books mentioned above are your favorite? Which did you like or dislike and why? Which movies, TV shows and books would you pick to win this year’s awards? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more information about the Scream Awards, visit their official Web site at www.spike.com/shows/scream.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Hillcrest High School and Sparta Academy both posted big wins on Friday, and it’s the second week in a row that they’ve both won on the same night.

Hillcrest handed W.S. Neal a 19-6 loss, and Sparta beat Lowndes Academy, 38-30. Both of those games were played in Evergreen.

Last Friday night’s game was the 18th all-time meeting between Hillcrest and Neal in football, and Hillcrest is now 9-8 all-time against Neal thanks to their win last week. The Jags haven’t lost to Neal since the 2007 season, and Friday night’s game was Neal’s 20th straight loss.

Sparta’s homecoming win against Lowndes on Friday was Sparta’s first ever victory against Lowndes. Sparta is now 1-1 all-time against Lowndes. Last year’s game was the first ever between the two schools in football, and Lowndes won, 33-13.

Hillcrest and Sparta will have their work cut out for them tomorrow (Friday) night when they take on Andalusia and Autauga Academy, respectively.

Andalusia enters its game against Hillcrest with a 5-0 record and fresh off a big win over T.R. Miller in Brewton. Autauga, led by former Sparta head coach Mike Sims, is 6-0 and coming off a 48-12 win over Meadowview Christian.

This is not to say that Hillcrest and Sparta won’t win. They’ll just need to bring their A-games and cut out the mistakes to keep their winning streaks alive.

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If you’re looking for a good, sports-related book to read this week, you might want to check out “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” by Michael Lewis.

Originally published in 2003, “Moneyball” is about Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, and how he assembled a team based largely on an analysis of statistics and despite the team not having a lot of money to pay players.

“Moneyball” reappeared on Publishers Weekly’s trade paperbacks best-sellers list last Thursday thanks in large part to all of the publicity generated by the motion picture adaptation of the book, which opened in theatres on Friday.

The film stars Brad Pitt, so I imagine that this will be my wife’s favorite baseball movie of the year.

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I get a big kick out of the SoundOff section each day in the Mobile Press-Register, and Monday’s edition included one that made me chuckle.

Entitled “World turned upside down,” the caller said that “The Lions and Bills are both undefeated. I have to go sit and contemplate life.”

The caller was referring to the fact that the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions, both perennial NFL bottom-feeders, were a surprising 3-0 after Sunday’s round of games. The league’s other undefeated teams, as of Monday morning, included the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers.

A handful of teams were still winless. The Miami Dolphins, the Indianapolis Colts (!), the Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings and the St. Louis Rams were all 0-3 as of Monday morning.

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Here are my picks for this week’s slate of SEC football games. I like Alabama over Florida, Texas A&M over Arkansas, South Carolina over Auburn, LSU over Kentucky, Fresno State over Ole Miss, Georgia over Mississippi State and Tennessee over Buffalo. Vanderbilt does not play.

“Quarterback Pete Van Horn passed for 110 yards and a touchdown and Josh Post kicked two field goals to lead Charles Henderson to a 12-8 homecoming win over Hillcrest last Friday night in Troy.“Defensive back Maurice Bradley’s interception and return to his own 40 set up Hillcrest’s only score of the night. The Jaguars moved quickly to the Henderson 38, and quarterbackc Chenson Griffin sprinted into the end zone. Griffin then ran in the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 12-8 with 6:23 left to play.”

“Sparta Academy scored the first touchdown and the last touchdown, but, in between, South Montgomery County Academy scored 41 straight points as the visiting Raiders defeated the Warriors, 41-13, Friday night at Stuart-McGehee Field.“Rusty Salter scored the first TD for the Warriors on a six-yard run in the first quarter and kicked the PAT. Perry Castleberry scored on a four-yard pass from Derrick Williams in the fourth quarter for the other TD.”

25 YEARS AGOSEPT. 25, 1986

“Grove Hill Academy blanked Sparta Academy 46-0 Friday night at Stuart-McGehee Field.“Robbie Bolton carried eight times for 60 yards to lead Sparta’s attack. Jeff Carrier had 58 yards on six carries; Jeff Walker, 11 on seven; Lee Adams, five on two; and Bradd Watts lost two on one try. Walker completed five of 19 passes for 62 yards, but had one throw intercepted. Watts failed to complete any of three throws. Johnny Brock caught one pass for 24 yards; Carrier, one for 16; Watts, one for 11; Bolton one for six and Lynn Ralls one for five.“Lee Wild topped the tackle chart with six solos, three assists and an interception. Brock had four and one; Bolton, four and one; Lynn Ralls, four and one; Shannon Kendall, three and one; Watts, three and one; Kenny Bledsoe, three solos; Carrier, two and two; Adams, two and one; Glynn Ralls, two solos; Tim Wilson, two solos; Ebb Hagen, one solo; Chris Davis, one solo and Scott Adams three assists.”

“Last Friday night proved to be the Sidney Carmichael and the Tony McPherson show, as they were unstoppable, as the Monroeville Tigers defeated the Evergreen Aggies, 40-7, for their second win of the season.“The Aggies only score came on a Monroeville turnover as the Tigers fumbled on the Aggie four-yard line and Jimmy Stanton returned it 96 yards for the touchdown. Bobby Johnson kicked the extra point and the score was 20-7 with 4:23 left in the third quarter.”

40 YEARS AGOSEPT. 30, 1971

“The Sparta Academy Warriors rode to their second straight victory on the talented toe of Jeff Nichols and an alert, aggressive defense as they edged Stephen-Spear School, 7-6, in Montgomery Friday night.“Sparta broke a scoreless deadlock early in the second quarter, marching 52 yards in seven plays for the TD. Dwight Watson got 23 of those yards on two carries before Larry Tranum exploded for 27 yards and the score on a beautiful run, breaking several tackles along the way. On came Nichols to boot it to 7-0 and provide the ultimate margin of victory.“Sparta’s great school spirit was evident as Evergreen folks followed their team up I-65 and outnumbered the home team considerably. Led by the Sparta Band, local fans filled the air with cheers throughout the game as they spurred their favorites on.”Other standout Sparta players in that game included George Baggett, Karl Baggett, Donnie Griggers and Joey Nix. Mickey Goneke was Sparta’s head coach.

“For the third time in as many outings, the Evergreen Aggies were plagued by mistakes as they dropped a 22-18 fight with the Choctaw County Tigers of Butler.“A determining factor in the Aggie loss was the absence of last week’s captains, middle guard Whalen Oliver and running back Frank McMillian, who were injured.”Standout Evergreen players in that game included Anthony Armstrong, Charlie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Willie Paige and Harold Rogers.

55 YEARS AGOSEPT. 27, 1956

“Those ‘never say die’ Aggies came from behind twice last Friday night in Andalusia to edge the Bulldogs, 13-12, and notch their first victory of the young season.“Aggie captain Wayne Frazier was easily the outstanding player on the field, although sophomore Robert Ellington pushed him for the honors. Frazier was credited by the Alabama Journal and Andalusia Star-News sports writers with over 75 percent of the Aggie tackles and boosted by them as a surefire bet for All-State honors.“Ellington was the leading ground gainer with 106 yards in 18 carries and scored both Aggie touchdowns. Only a sophomore, his hard running and ability speak of better days ahead for the Aggies. Quarterback Billy Grace, playing in his second varsity game did an outstanding job and completed five out of 11 passes for 102 yards.“But to name stars, you have to list the whole Aggie team. Co-captain Russell Deason and guard James Nelson came through with bone-jarring tackles all night and did some neat blocking. Big Mickey Joyner played a sterling game both on defense and offense, grabbing four of Grace’s tosses for 95 yards and setting up both touchdowns.“Bert Cook played a neat defensive end and hauled in one of Grace’s tosses. Buddy Zukowski and Byron Warren turned in some fine defensive play along with George Bolton and Howard Claybrook. Jack Harper, Bert Tuggle and Robbie Boykin handled their backfield chores in fine style.”

40 YEARS AGOSEPT. 25, 1941

“BOY SCOUT NEWS: We had a business meeting last Monday night. We will have district court of honor here on the 13th of October. We hope to have many badges awarded to us so as to outnumber Brewton and Castleberry.“The contest was over last Monday. The Bat Patrol won and as a reward they are going to the Auburn vs. Howard football game Friday night at Montgomery.”

Several months ago, one of our readers told me an interesting story about an important Confederate artifact that may be lost somewhere in Conecuh County. I’m passing the story along today to see if any of you might know more details about the story.

The story begins in 1865, in the last days of the Civil War, when Union forces began to move north out of Mobile towards Selma, where there was a large armory and munitions factory, which supplied most of the South’s ammunition. Sensing what was to come, Confederate agents in Selma began to gather important documents and other items, including a valuable Confederate seal. This seal, which was very much like a notary public’s seal today, was used by Confederate government officials to stamp documents with an embossed mark that certified the document’s authenticity.

According to the story, Confederate agents made their way south with these items, possibly in hopes of hiding them in the vicinity of Pensacola, Mobile or New Orleans. One version of the tale has them making their way to Sanders Cave at Brooklyn, where they hid the documents and items from Union officers.

On the way to Brooklyn though, as the story goes, the Confederate seal was supposedly either lost or stolen, giving rise to stories about a lost Confederate seal somewhere in the vicinity of Conecuh County.

Since first hearing this story, I spent a couple of months trying to track down more details, but did not have much luck.

Steve Stacey of Monroeville, who I consider a Civil War expert, especially in regard to the local aspects of the war, doesn’t put much stock in the “lost seal” tale.

“It is part lore, part factual that documents left Selma (true) for Brooklyn (not proved) and the seal was part of the shipment (not proved),” he told me in an August e-mail. “A facsimile of the seal ‘may have’ traveled to Brooklyn and would have crossed the Federal Road in the journey.”

In any event, the Selma seal was likely one of a number of identical seals used by Confederate officials in important cities like Montgomery, Atlanta and New Orleans.

The “Great Seal of the Confederacy,” the one used by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, can be seen today in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va.

It was designed by the firm of Joseph S. Wyon in London, the same firm that served as engravers for Queen Victoria and made the Great Seal of England.

According to officials at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., the seal was completed and given to James Mason, who was a Confederate agent operating in England. Mason then turned it over to Confederate naval officers, who were charged with transporting it back to America. Being a sensitive (and no doubt expensive) item, the seal took a round about trip to the Confederate States in order to avoid the Union naval blockade. It went from England to Canada by ship and then traveled by ship to the island of Bermuda before finally coming ashore in Wilmington, N.C.

In April 1865, around the time that Union forces were marching on Selma, Mrs. William J. Bromwell, the wife of a Confederate State Department official, smuggled the Great Seal out of Richmond, when the rebel government fled that doomed city. The Great Seal was hidden in a barn nearby along with other important archives and documents, and the seal remained in private hands until 1915. It was officially presented to the Museum of the Confederacy in 1943, and it remains there today.

Before I close this thing out, here’s a description of the Confederate seal. The actual seal is round with a picture of George Washington on a horse, surrounded by a wreath composed of cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, wheat and rice. Embossed around the edge you’d find “The Confederate States of America: 22 February, 1862” as well as the Confederacy’s motto, “Deo Vindice.”

In the end, I’m hoping that someone out there will read this story and will provide me with more information about the “Lost Seal” story as it relates to Conecuh County. If you know of any additional details, please contact me at The Courant by calling 578-1492 or by mail at P.O. Box 440, Evergreen, AL 36401. You can also reach me by e-mail at courantsports@earthlink.net.

(In addition to Stacey, a number of people helped me in my search for information about the “lost seal,” and I would be remiss if I didn’t thank them in this space. Special thanks to Larry Ryland of Bermuda; Sherry Johnston, the Genealogist-Historian at the Evergreen-Conecuh County Public Library; Bill Rambo, Site Director at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury; and Lee Anne Wofford at Preserve Alabama.)

If I could only watch one movie at the theatre this week, it would be “Dream House,” and if I had to pick just one DVD to rent this week, it would be “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”

In the end, let me know if you get a chance to watch any of the new movies in theatres this week or if you’ve already seen any of the movies that have just been released on DVD. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

If you love books, then this week is one of the most important weeks of the year.

While it hasn’t received a lot of publicity, Sept. 24-Oct. 1, is the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week.

According to the ALA, this special week is “an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.”

“Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week (BBW) highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

“Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

“The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.”

To draw attention to banned books, the ALA releases a list each year of frequently challenged books. The most recent list, covering the 2010 calendar year, was released in April and contains more than a few titles that you will recognize.

The previous year’s most challenged books included:

- “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie

- “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

- “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins

- “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

- “Lush” by Natasha Friend

- “What My Mother Doesn’t Know” by Sonya Stones

- “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich

- “Revolutionary Voices,” edited by Amy Sonnie

- “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer.

Only two of these books were on the Top 10 list of most challenged books in 2009 – “And Tango Makes Three” and “Twilight.”

Books that fell out of the top 10 included “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.

The American Library Association reported 348 challenges to books in 2010 and at least 53 outright bans on some books. They also noted that there were likely other challenges and bans that went undocumented.

According to their Web site, the library association defines a challenge as any effort “to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.”

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. In 2011, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English and PEN American Center also signed on as sponsors.

For more information about Banned Books Week, visit www.bannedbooksweek.org.

Monday, September 26, 2011

I ran across an interesting recommended reading list earlier today called “Fifty Books That Will Change Your Life,” and I’m passing it along to you tonight for your enjoyment.

Originally compiled and published by The New Statesman magazine in August 2009, this list consists of more than a few classic (and controversial) books. The New Statesman is a British magazine, so you’ll notice that the list has somewhat of a British flavor.

Books that made the list include the following titles, listed in alphabetical order:

1. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque2. Areopagitica And Other Political Writings Of John Milton by John Alvis3. The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James4. Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake5. The Cannery Boat and Other Japanese Short Stories by Takiji Kobayashi6. Catch-22: A Novel by Joseph Heller7. The Communist Manifesto by Friedrich Engels8. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi9. Consciencism by Kwame Nkrumah10. Culture and Society 1780-1950 by Raymond Williams

11. Equality (The Halley Stewart Lectures for 1929) by R.H. Tawney12. Essential Works of Lenin: "What Is to Be Done?" and Other Writings by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin13. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway14. Germinal by Émile Zola15. God's Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousmane16. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck17. Hard Times by Charles Dickens18. Henrik Ibsen - An Enemy Of The People19. How We Should Rule Ourselves by Alasdair Gray 20. In a World I Never Made by Barbara Wootton

21. The Iron Heel by Jack London22. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair23. Let Us Face the Future--: The 1945 Anniversary Lecture by Tony Blair24. The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius by George Orwell25. Love on the Dole by Walter Greenwood26. Making of the English Working Class by E.P. Thompson27. Mi Revalueshanary Fren by Linton Kwesi Johnson28. News from Nowhere and Other Writings by William Morris29. The New Testament30. No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs by Naomi Klein

31. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell32. The Other America: Poverty in the United States by Michael Harrington33. Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley34. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell35. The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine36. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe37. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir38. Selections from the Prison Notebooks by Antonio Gramsci39. Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord40. The Soul of Man Under Socialism and Selected Critical Prose by Oscar Wilde

41. South Riding by Winifred Holtby42. There Ain't no Black in the Union Jack by Paul Gilroy43. Tom & Clem by Stephen Churchett44. To the Finland Station by Edmund Wilson45. V. by Tony Harrison46. The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley47. What a Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe48. Why Socialism? by Albert Einstein49. The World Turned Upside Down by Christopher Hill50. The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon

For more information about these books and to read the original article about the list, visit http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2009/08/wing-reads-rights-sex-susie.

In the end, how many of these books have you had the chance to read? Which did you like or dislike and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

It’s Sunday, so that means that it’s time for my weekly review of this week’s Publishers Weekly Best-Seller List. According to the list, we’ve got two new books at the top of the four major best-seller lists this week.

"New York to Dallas" by J.D. Robb replaced "Kill Me If You Can" by James Patterson and Marshall Karp as the No. 1 book on the hardcover fiction best-sellers list.

"Jacqueline Kennedy" foreword by Caroline Kennedy replaced "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir" by Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney as the top book on the hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list.

"Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell remained the No. 1 book on the mass market paperback best-sellers list.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett retained the top spot on the trade paperbacks best-sellers list.

There are six books on this week’s hardcover fiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They (along with their place on the list) include "New York to Dallas" by J.D. Robb (1), "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern (2), "Abuse of Power" by Michael Savage (4), "Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues" by Michael Brandman (5), "How Firm a Foundation" by David Weber (9), "Goddess of Vengeance" by Jackie Collins (10), "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett (14) and "Only Time Will Tell" by Jeffrey Archer (15).

There are seven books on this week’s hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "Jacqueline Kennedy" foreword by Caroline Kennedy (1), "Every Day a Friday" by Joel Osteen (2), "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries (4), "Pearl Jam Twenty" by Pearl Jam (8), "Here Comes Trouble" by Michael Moore (11), "The Black Banners" by Ali H. Soufan with Daniel Freedman (14) and "Arguably" by Christopher Hitchens (15).

There are four books on this week’s mass market paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They include "A Storm of Swords" by George R.R. Martin (8), "Painted Ladies" by Robert P. Parker (13), "The Inner Circle" by Brad Meltzer (14) and "Wicked Appetite" by Janet Evanovich (15).

There are three books on this week’s trade paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "The Sixth Man" by David Baldacci (3), "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis (12) and "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" by Chelsea Handler (15).

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Sunday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on Thursday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit Publishers Weekly’s Web site at www.publishersweekly.com. Below you’ll find all four of this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER FICTION1. "New York to Dallas" by J.D. Robb2. "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern3. "Kill Me If You Can" by James Patterson and Marshall Karp4. "Abuse of Power" by Michael Savage5. "Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues" by Michael Brandman6. "A Dance With Dragons" by George R.R. Martin7. "The Race" by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott8. "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach9. "How Firm a Foundation" by David Weber10. "Goddess of Vengeance" by Jackie Collins11. "Dark Predator" by Christine Feehan12. "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain13. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larrson14. "State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett15. "Only Time Will Tell" by Jeffrey Archer

HARDCOVER NONFICTION1. "Jacqueline Kennedy" foreword by Caroline Kennedy2. "Every Day a Friday" by Joel Osteen3. "That Used to Be Us" by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum4. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries5. "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir" by Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney6. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand7. "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard8. "Pearl Jam Twenty" by Pearl Jam9. "The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Design for Rapid Results" by Dr. Mike Moreno10. "Go the F--k to Sleep" by Adam Mansbach and Illustrations by Ricardo Cortes11. "Here Comes Trouble" by Michael Moore12. "Living Beyond Your Feelings" by Joyce Meyer13. "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larson14. "The Black Banners" by Ali H. Soufan with Daniel Freedman15. "Arguably" by Christopher Hitchens

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS1. "Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell2. "1105 Yakima Street by Debbie Macomber3. "American Assassin: A Thriller" by Vince Flynn4. "The Confession: A Novel" by John Grisham5. "Lost Empire" by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood6. "The Reversal" by Michael Connelly7. "Envy" by J.R. Ward8. "A Storm of Swords" by George R.R. Martin9. "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin10. "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin11. "Strategic Moves" by Stuart Woods12. "The Emperor's Tomb" by Steve Berry13. "Painted Ladies" by Robert P. Parker14. "The Inner Circle" by Brad Meltzer15. "Wicked Appetite" by Janet Evanovich

TRADE PAPERBACKS1. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett2. "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo and Lynn Vincent3. "The Sixth Man" by David Baldacci4. "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay5. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot6. "Cleopatra" by Stacy Schiff7. "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese8. "One Day" by David Nicholls9. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell10. "Room" by Emma Donoghue11. "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks12. "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis13. "Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy" by Ken Follett14. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein15. "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" by Chelsea Handler

In the end, let me know if you’ve had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

The recent film version of “Thor” was a lot better than I thought it would be, and I highly recommend it to readers who have a taste for action and fantasy.

Released in the U.S. on May 6, this movie is based on the Marvel Comics character, which is based on the hero from Norse mythology. In the movie, Thor’s brother, Loki, has launched a misguided plot to seize control of their home world, Asgard. Their father, King Odin, exiles Thor to Earth to teach him a lesson, and then Odin falls into a deep, coma-like sleep, which allows Loki to take the throne.

On Earth, Thor is stripped of his super powers and begins his quest to find his magical hammer, called "Mjolnir," so that he can return home. He meets a group of scientists and falls for researcher, Jane Foster. They, in turn, butt heads with government agents, who have been dispatched to the New Mexico desert to investigate something unusual in a crater there, i.e., Thor’s legendary, magical hammer.

Before all is said and done, a group of Thor’s friends from Asgard travel to Earth to tell Thor about his father’s condition. Loki sends a seemingly invincible robot called “The Destroyer” after them with instructions to wipe them out. What follows is an epic, fantasy-action battle that is more than a little satisfying.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, this movie features an all-star cast of well known actors and actresses, including Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Anthony Hopkins (Odin) and Rene Russo (Odin’s wife).

Being an adaptation of a Marvel Comics hero, this movie also includes the obligatory cameo of comic book legend, Stan Lee, who created the Thor comic character along with Larry Liebert and Jack Kirby. Lee makes his appearance as a truck driver, who snatches the bed off of his pick-up truck in an ill-advised attempt to uproot Thor’s hammer from the desert floor.

To say that this movie was a blockbuster would be an understatement. Filmed on a budget of $150 million, it posted box offices totals of over $448.5 million. It’s too early to tell how many awards this movie will bring in, but it’s already been nominated for several, including this year’s Teen Choice Awards and Scream Awards.

For those of you who enjoyed “Thor,” you’ll be interested to hear that there’s already a sequel in the works. “Thor 2” is supposed to hit theatres in July 2013, and Hemsworth will return in his role as Thor.

Watching this movie made me want to delve back into the comic book series and brush up on my Norse mythology. Thor made his first Marvel Comics appearance in August 1962, when he graced the pages of “Journey Into Mystery” No. 83. He would go on to appear in several series of his own, and you can buy trade paperback editions of these early appearances inexpensively today through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

In the end, how many of you have seen the movie “Thor”? What did you think about it? Did you like it or not? Why? Let us know in the comments section below.

Friday, September 23, 2011

I finished reading any awesome book a few days ago, (Mr.) Kim Newman’s 1992 novel, “Anno Dracula.”

The idea behind the novel is simple and elegant and results in one of the best “what if” books I’ve ever read. In short, the novel tries to answer the question of what would have happened if Abraham Van Helsing and his colleagues had failed to killed Count Dracula? In Newman’s novel, Dracula not only survives his undoing, but ends up rising in power and marrying Queen Victoria. As the Royal Consort and Protector of the Realm, Dracula rules the British Empire with a bloody, iron fist.

In addition to Dracula’s rise in power, London is full of vampires, many of which have been turned voluntarily for political reasons. Enter Jack the Ripper, as in, Dr. John “Jack” Seward, who was in love with early Dracula victim, Lucy Westenra. Seward, Van Helsing and others put Westenra out of her vampiric misery with a wooden stake, and Seward is driven mad by the experience.

Seward begins waging a one-man war on vampire prostitutes, who bare the same names as the canonical Jack the Ripper victims of real history. Government agent Charles Beauregard, a member of the mysterious Diogenes Club, is called in to capture Jack the Ripper, aka, “Silver Knife,” and the story goes from there.

The edition of the novel I read was published in 2011 by Titan Books and features a number of extras. In addition to 29 pages of interesting annotations, acknowledgements and an afterward, the extras include an alternate ending to the novel, which was first published in “The Mammoth Book of Vampires”; extracts from the screenplay for “Anno Dracula: The Movie”; an article by Newman titled “Drac the Ripper,” which was originally published in the 2005 magazine, “The Ripperologist” No. 60; and a short story by Newman called “The Dead Travel Fast,” which was originally published in 2000’s “Unforgivable Stories.”

“Anno Dracula” is the first book in a four-part series of novels that explore the vampire-what if? theme. Other books in the series include “The Bloody Red Baron” (1995) and “Dracula Cha Cha Cha” (1998). The fourth novel in the series, “Johnny Alucard,” is scheduled to be published sometime next year by Titan Books.

I have to admit that “Anno Dracula” is the first Kim Newman book that I’ve had the chance to read, and I’m looking forward to checking out some of his other books.

Newman’s other novels include:

- The Night Mayor (1989)- Bad Dreams (1990)- Jago (1991)- In Dreams (1992)- The Quorum (1994)- The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories (1994)- Famous Monsters (1995)- Back in the USSA (1997)- Andy Warhol’s Dracula (1999)- Life’s Lottery (1999)- Where the Bodies are Buried (2000)- Seven Stars (2000)- Unforgivable Stories (2000)- Binary 2 (2000)- Time and Relative (2001)- Dead Travel Fast (2005)- The Man from the Diogenes Club (2006)- Secret Files of the Diogenes Club (2007)- Mysteries of the Diogenes Club (2010)

For more information about Newman and his books, visit Newman’s official Web site at www.johnnyalucard.com.

In the end, how many of you have read “Anno Dracula” or any of Newman’s other books? What did you think about them? Let us know in the comments section below.

Hillcrest’s win on Friday was their first ever against Straughn, and the Jags are now 1-1 all-time against the Tigers.

Sparta’s big win over Ellwood was Sparta’s biggest win in football since the 1997 season, when the Warriors beat Lakeside, 60-0.

Friday night’s game dropped Ellwood to 0-5 on the season. This year is Ellwood’s first ever in 11-man football after two seasons of playing in an eight-man football league. So far, Sparta’s 48 points are the most that Ellwood has allowed in a single game.

Ellwood gave up 47 points to Lowndes Academy earlier this year, and Sparta will face Lowndes tomorrow (Friday) night in Evergreen.

Sparta and Lowndes don’t have much of a football past. Their game last year was the first ever between the two teams in football, and Lowndes won that game, 33-13, in Lowndesboro.

Hillcrest plays W.S. Neal in Evergreen, and the Jags are 8-8 all-time against Neal. Hillcrest hasn’t lost to Neal since 2007, and the Jags have posted some big wins against Neal since then. Hillcrest won 55-18 in 2008, 34-14 in 2009 and 47-28 in 2010.

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One of our readers put me on to an interesting (and unusual) high school football story earlier this week, one that describes how a team in Arkansas built a 29-0 lead over one of its rivals before the opposing team ever got the chance to run their first offensive play.

In the Sept. 16 game between Arkansas powerhouses, Cabot High School and Pulaski Academy of Little Rock, Pulaski led, 29-0, before Cabot ever ran an offensive play. While such a feat is rare, how Pulaski pulled this off was pretty simple and involved several onside kicks. Pulaski won the opening coin toss, elected to receive and drove down the field for a touchdown.

Pulaski then kicked an onside kick, recovered it and quickly scored another touchdown. Moments later, they pulled the same stunt: kicked an onside kick, recovered it and scored another quick TD.

Pulaski then proceeded to kick another onside kick, recovered the ball and scored another touchdown with 7:35 left in the first quarter.

Leading 29-0, Pulaski went for a fourth onside kick, but Cabot finally recovered. In the end, Pulaski, ranked No. 99 in the country by Rivals.com, won, 64-34.

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The NFL season is well underway, and the number of undefeated teams are falling by the wayside with each round of weekly games. As of Monday, the only undefeated teams left in the NFL were the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the N.Y. Jets, the Houston Texans, the Washington Redskins, the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.

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Here are my picks for this week’s slate of SEC football games. I like Alabama over Arkansas, Auburn over Florida Atlantic, LSU over West Virginia, Georgia over Ole Miss, Mississippi State over Louisiana Tech, Florida over Kentucky and South Carolina over Vanderbilt. Tennessee does not play.

“Hillcrest High School came up just seven points shy of upsetting the No. 5-ranked team in Class 4A last Friday night in Evergreen.“Class 4A, Region 2 rival, Straughn High School, entered Brooks Memorial Stadium Friday night as the fifth-ranked team in Class 4A and escaped with a 22-15 win over the Jags.“Hillcrest took an 8-7 lead when quarterback Justin Nared completed a two-point conversion pass with three minutes left in the second quarter.“With 10 minutes left in the game, Hillcrest went up 15-12 when Nared completed a pass in the end zone.”

“Sparta Academy picked up its second win of the season Friday night by beating Dixie Academy, 42-19, at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen.“Junior running back John Perry Johnson led the Warriors with eight carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns. His two scores came on runs of 57 and 68 yards.“Dalton Baggett followed with 10 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing touchdowns came on runs of eight and 26 yards. Baggett also completed an 11-yard pass and had a two-yard pass reception.“Devlin Crosby ran the ball five times for 18 yards, including a five-yard touchdown run. He also completed three of three passes for 19 yards.Other outstanding Sparta players in that game included Tom Andrews, Joey Bradley, Michael Cook, Hunter Hanks, Drew Hardin, Dylan Middleton and Eli Tyree.

16 YEARS AGOSEPT. 28, 1995

“Sparta Warriors given thrashing by Rebels: The Sparta Academy Warriors dropped their first game of the season Friday night when the Dixie Academy Rebels whipped the Warriors 50 to 8.“The Warriors could get nothing going on offense all night until Brent Worrell caught a Roderick McIntyre pass for a touchdown late in the ballgame.”

“These lovely young ladies are cheering the 1995 Hillcrest High School Jaguars Football team every Friday night. Pictured are Tamekia Williams, Lameka Rankins and LaTracie Hines, Co-Captain; LaTonya Grace, Daryl Hahn, Co-Captain and LaTricia Scott. Not pictured is Shakela Brye, Captain.”

“JV Warriors lose to Monroe Aca. 12-8: The Sparta Academy Junior Varsity Warriors lost a close game September 19 at Stuart-McGehee Field to the Monroe Academy Volunteers. The Warriors lost 12 to 8.“Stephen Salter scored the Warriors only touchdown on a 25-yard run. Seth McIntyre scored the extra points.“Salter led the Warrior rushing attack with 28 yards on 14 carries. Aaron Clanton had –2 yards on one carry, and Seth McIntyre had –6 yards on 10 carries.“Seth McIntyre completed three of his 11 passing attempts for 63 yards. He had three interceptions. Steven Salter had two receptions for 54 yards and Aaron Clanton had one catch for nine yards.”

31 YEARS AGOSEPT. 25, 1980

“Mr. and Mrs. Bill Seales accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Pete Wolff Jr. of Evergreen, enjoyed the Auburn and Duke football game at Auburn on Saturday.”

“Warriors lose first decision; host So. Butler: The Sparta Academy Warriors will try to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they host the South Butler Academy Raiders on Friday night.“The Warriors lost their first game of the season last Friday night to Fort Deposit Academy by 27-14 in Fort Deposit. Sparta went into the game with Ed Carrier, leading rusher, hobbled by an injury. The number two runner, Bobby Mason, played well, but was injured during the game. These injuries hurt the Warriors greatly.“Mason, in spite of being ‘shook-up,’ netted 53 yards on 10 carries and scored all of Sparta’s points. He plunged one yard for the first t.d. and then romped 42 yards for the second and added the two-point conversion. Andy Hammonds had six yards on four carries as Sparta’s attack was blunted by the Patriots’ defense and miscues.“Jeff Johnson completed only two of seven pass attempts for 13 yards and suffered one interception. Ed Carrier caught one for eight yards and Darwin Nix one for five. Andy Hammonds had 10 solo tackles and one assist; Scott Baggett, five and two; and Richard Nix, six and one and a fumble recovery to top the tackle chart. Mike Mixon and Mason had six solos each.”Other standout Sparta players in that game included Scotty Grace, Gaylen Griggers, Tracey Hawsey, Joe McInvale, Russ Raines and Terry Shipp.

46 YEARS AGOSEPT. 23, 1965

“The Repton Bulldogs defeated the Fruitdale eleven Friday night 26 to 7.“Quarterback Barry Boatwright started the Bulldog scoring with a yard touchdown in the first quarter. Bulldog halfback Terry Andrews made the PAT.”Other outstanding Repton players in that game included Larry Baggett, Gary Boatwright, Scott Dyess and Wayne Price.”

“Coach Joe Mason’s improving Lyeffion Yellow Jackets brought their season mark to .500 last Friday night when they racked up their first victory. Camp Hill High’s Wolverines were the victims by a 6 to 0 county in Camp Hill.“Don Jones was the man of the hour for the Jackets up in far off Tallapoosa County Friday night. He slammed over from the one in the third quarter for the game’s only counter.”Other standout Lyeffion players in that game included Harold Brown and Jerry New.

“A heavier and faster Monroeville Tiger squad swamped the Aggies in their attempt to break into the win column with a 28-0 shutout.”Standout Evergreen players in that game included Glenn Bolton, Bubba Faulkner, Bill Snowden and Jack White.

“The game movies of the Aggies’ loss to Monroeville will be featured on the program at the weekly meeting of the Evergreen Quarterback Club tonight at 7:30 in the EHS lunchroom.“Coach Cliff Little says the films are unusually good and clear and will give these rabid Aggie boosters a better look at individual performances than you get during the excitement of the actual game.”

61 YEARS AGOSEPT. 28, 1950

“Ileana Stallworth and Pat Everage have been elected cheerleaders by the students of E.H.S. to fill the places left vacant by two of last year’s cheerleaders who graduated.“Evergreen High School is proud of its two new cheerleaders and feels confident that they will do their part in cheering E.H.S. on to victory.”

“The Aggies will play tomorrow (Friday) night in a stadium that ranks with the best in the state when they go upon the turf of the Municipal Stadium in Andalusia. The city of Andalusia completed the stadium last spring at a cost of $150,000. No need in telling you that $150,000 is a lot of coin, but from all reports the money was well spent. The stadium has concrete seats for several thousand. Temporary bleachers on the visitor’s side of the field will seat several hundred more. Included in the layout, without conflict, are a baseball field, track and football field. The field is lighted by the newest type system with the light posts back on the stands giving spectators a clear view of the field. The lighting system is equaled in few of the state’s larger stadia. A number of local fans took advantage of last Friday’s open date on the Aggie schedule and went over for a look at the Andalusia team and at the new stadium. All of them came back raving about the stadium.”

On Oct. 11, 1973, two Mississippi men made headlines around the world when they claimed that they were abducted from the banks of the Pascagoula River by space aliens.

Five days later, three people in Evergreen – including two police officers – reported seeing a UFO over downtown Evergreen.

The 1973 sighting in Mississippi made headlines again recently when Charles E. Hickson Sr., the eldest of the two men who claimed to have been abducted, died on Fri., Sept. 9, at the age of 80.

Hickson, then age 42, and Calvin Parker, a 19-year-old co-worker at the now-defunct Walker Shipyard in Pascagoula, went fishing after work and claimed to have encountered a domed, cigar-shaped aircraft that was about 35 feet across and about nine feet high.

The men reported that the aliens floated toward them with a glowing egg-shaped object with blue lights at its front, and that the aliens levitated them into a spacecraft. Both men reported feeling paralyzed, and Parker fainted from fright.

Once inside, the aliens examined the two men with a football-shaped mechanical device that scanned their bodies.

After about 20 minutes, the aliens levitated the two men back to the west bank of the river, and the two men reported the incident to the local sheriff’s department at around 10:30 p.m.

The two men passed a polygraph examination about the incident, which received massive, international media attention. To date, it is one of the most famous alien abduction cases ever reported.

In the Oct. 25, 1973 edition of The Courant, Publisher and Editor Bob Bozeman made a rare mention of UFOs in his weekly editorial column, “The Colyum.”

“I’m not going into the UFO bit this week as it has been thoroughly covered on radio, TV and in the daily newspapers,” Bozeman wrote. “I’m sure all of you know that three persons saw a UFO over City Hall last Wednesday night. Two were policemen who tried to focus spotlights on the object but were unable to do so.

“Frankly, I don’t know what they saw, but I still believe there is a logical explanation for UFOs, and it doesn’t involve creatures and spaceships from another planet.”

All of this raises a number of questions, in my mind, about the incident in Evergreen.

Who were the two police officers that witnessed the UFO in Evergreen? Who was the third witness? What made them notice the object? What were they doing when they noticed the object? What time of night did the event occur? What did the UFO look like? Did it make any sounds? How long was it visible? Did it just disappear or fly away? In which direction did it appear to travel? What was the weather like that night? Where were the witnesses standing when they saw the UFO?

In the end, I’m interested in hearing more about the incident in Evergreen, especially since we’re approaching the 38th anniversary of the event. If any of you in the reading audience remember the event and can provide more details, I’d like to hear from you. You can reach me by phone at 578-1492, by mail at The Evergreen Courant, P.O. Box 440, Evergreen, AL 36401 or by e-mail at courantsports@earthlink.net.

If I could only watch one movie at the theatre this week, it would be “Killer Elite,” and if I had to pick just one DVD to rent this week, it would be “Area 51.”

In the end, let me know if you get a chance to watch any of the new movies in theatres this week or if you’ve already seen any of the movies that have just been released on DVD. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Today is author George R.R. Martin’s 63rd birthday, and this popular sci-fi, horror and fantasy writer has had a very good year.

I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Martin prior to this year, but that changed for me (and a lot of other people) when HBO adapted his popular “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series for into a television series called “Game of Thrones.” Thanks to the popularity of this hit show, his books have returned to and have remained on the best-sellers lists for months and months.

His star has risen so much during the past year that TIME magazine listed Martin on its most recent list of top 100 most influential people in the world.

Martin is a prolific writer and has written dozens of novels, novellas, novelettes, collections and TV scripts, including teleplays for shows like “The Twilight Zone” series in the 1980s, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Game of Thrones.”

He has 12 novels to his credit, and here’s a complete list of them below, in order of publication.

- Dying of the Light (1977)

- Windhaven (1981)

- Fevre Dream (1982)

- The Armageddon Ring (1983)

- Dead Man’s Hand (with John Miller, 1990)

- A Game of Thrones (1996)

- A Clash of Kings (1999)

- A Storm of Swords (2000)

- A Feast of Crows (2005)

- Shadow Twin (with Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham, 2005)

- Hunters Run (with Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham, 2008)

- A Dance with Dragons (2011)

He has also published a number of short story collections, including:

- A Song for Lya and Other Stories (1976)

- Songs of Stars and Shadows (1977)

- Sandkings (1981)

- Songs the Dead Men Sing (1983)

- Nighflyers (1985)

- Tuf Voyaging (1987)

- Portraits of His Children (1987)

- Quartet (2001)

- GRRM: A RRetrospective (2003)

- Starlady/Fast-Friend (2008)

Fans of Martin will be happy to hear that he has two forthcoming novels due out soon, and these books will be part of his popular “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. To be published by Bantam Books, their tentative titles are “The Winds of Winter” and “A Dream of Spring.”

Before I close this thing out, I have to admit that I’ve never watched even a single episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series, which debuted in April 2011. The first season featured 10 episodes, and the second season is scheduled to begin in 2012. Written by Martin and others, the series stars Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Michelle Fairley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey.

To learn more about Martin and his books, visit his Web site at www.georgerrmartin.com. His Web site is pretty cool and features a ton of interesting content. I especially enjoy his “What I’m Reading” section, which updates his fans on the books that he’s currently reading.

In the end, how many of Martin’s books have you read? Which did you like or dislike and why? Which would you recommend and why? How many of you have watched the HBO series? Do you like it or not and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

It’s Sunday, so that means that it’s time for my weekly review of this week’s Publishers Weekly Best-Seller List. According to the list, we’ve got one new book at the top of the four major best-seller lists this week.

"Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell replaced "The Reversal" by Michael Connelly as the top book on the mass market paperback best-sellers list.

"Kill Me If You Can" by James Patterson and Marshall Karp retained the No. 1 spot on the hardcover fiction best-sellers list.

"In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir" by Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney remains the top book on the hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett retained the top spot on the trade paperbacks best-sellers list.

There are six books on this week’s hardcover fiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They (along with their place on the list) include "The Race" by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott (2), "Dark Predator" by Christine Feehan (3), "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach (5), "Prey" by Linda Howard (6), "Pirate King" by Laurie R. King (7) and "The Tears of the Sun" by S.M. Stirling (13).

There are six books on this week’s hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "Start Something That Matters" by Blake Mycoskie (2), "That Used to Be Us" by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum (3), "The Two-Second Advantage" by Vivek Ranadive and Kevin Maney (4), "Willpower" by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney (12), "Living Beyond Your Feelings" by Joyce Meyer (13) and "Just My Type" by Simon Garfield (14).

There are six books on this week’s mass market paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They include "Envy" by J.R. Ward (4), "Lost Empire" by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood (6), "The Emperor's Tomb" by Steve Berry (10), "Strategic Moves" by Stuart Woods (12), "Canyons of Night" by Jayne Castle (14) and "Archangel's Blade" by Nalini Singh (15).

There are two books on this week’s trade paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They include "The Mercy" by Beverly Lewis (3) and "Cleopatra" by Stacy Schiff (7).

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Sunday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on Thursday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit Publishers Weekly’s Web site at www.publishersweekly.com. Below you’ll find all four of this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER FICTION1. "Kill Me If You Can" by James Patterson and Marshall Karp2. "The Race" by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott3. "Dark Predator" by Christine Feehan4. "A Dance With Dragons" by George R.R. Martin5. "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach6. "Prey" by Linda Howard7. "Pirate King" by Laurie R. King8. "Flash and Bones: A Novel" by Kathy Reichs9. "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta10. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larrson11. "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain12. "The Sookie Stackhouse Companion" by Charlaine Harris13. "The Tears of the Sun" by S.M. Stirling14. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett15. "A Trick of the Light: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel" by Louise Perry

HARDCOVER NONFICTION1. "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir" by Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney2. "Start Something That Matters" by Blake Mycoskie3. "That Used to Be Us" by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum4. "The Two-Second Advantage" by Vivek Ranadive and Kevin Maney5. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand6. "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard7. "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larson8. "The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Design for Rapid Results" by Dr. Mike Moreno9. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey10. "1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created" by Charles C. Mann11. "Go the F--k to Sleep" by Adam Mansbach and Illustrations by Ricardo Cortes12. "Willpower" by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney13. "Living Beyond Your Feelings" by Joyce Meyer14. "Just My Type" by Simon Garfield15. "The Dukan Diet" by Pierre Dukan

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS1. "Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell2. "American Assassin: A Thriller" by Vince Flynn3. "1105 Yakima Street by Debbie Macomber4. "Envy" by J.R. Ward5. "The Confession: A Novel" by John Grisham6. "Lost Empire" by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood7. "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin8. "The Reversal" by Michael Connelly9. "Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue: A Cynster Novel" by Stephanie Laurens10. "The Emperor's Tomb" by Steve Berry11. "Canyons of Night: Book Three of the Looking Glass Trilogy" by Jayne Castle12. "Strategic Moves" by Stuart Woods13. "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin14. "Canyons of Night" by Jayne Castle15. "Archangel's Blade" by Nalini Singh

TRADE PAPERBACKS1. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett2. "Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back" by Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo and Lynn Vincent3. "The Mercy" by Beverly Lewis4. "Room" by Emma Donoghue5. "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay6. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot7. "Cleopatra" by Stacy Schiff8. "One Day" by David Nicholls9. "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks10. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell11. "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese12. "Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy" by Ken Follett13. "The Glass Castle: A Memoir" by Jeannette Walls14. "Unlikely Friendships" by Jennifer S. Holland15. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein

In the end, let me know if you’ve had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Originally part of the U.S. Army, the Air Force was formed as a separate branch of the U.S. military on Sept. 18,1947. Today, it remains the world’s most technologically sophisticated air force.

To salute my friends and family who are (or have been ) a part of the Air Force, I present to you today the 2011 USAF Chief of Staff Air Force Reading List.

The list was compiled to “inform, analyze, inspire and educate,” according to the U.S. Air Force web site. Titles were selected “to inform readers about the history of the Air Force, analyze on-going conflicts and their relevancy to the future, inspire readers with success stories and provide lessons learned from conflicts.”

Book on the list were divided into three categories – Military Heritage, Leadership and Strategic Content. Without further ado, here’s the list:

- Cataclysm: General Hap Arnold and the Defeat of Japan by Herman S Wolk (2010)

Leadership

- Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (2007)

- Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace by Mark Perry (2007)

- The Lost Peace: Leadership in a Time of Horror and Hope, 1945-1953 by Robert Dallek (2010)

- Secrets of Special Ops Leadership: Dare the Impossible; Achieve the Extraordinary by William Allen Cohen (2008)

Strategic Content

- Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power by Robert Kaplan (2010)

- Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake (2010)

- The Return of History and the End of Dreams by Robert Kagan (2008)

- Technology Horizons: A Vision for the Air Force Science and Technology by Dr. Werner Dahm (2006)

- Descent Into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid (2008)

The Air Force Professional Reading Program was created a number of years ago “to develop a common frame of reference among Air Force members – officers, enlisted and civilians – to help each of us become better, more effective advocates of air and space power.”

In addition to the books mentioned above, a number of other titles have been recommended over the years including the following books:

- 10 Propositions Regarding Air Power by Phillip S. Meilinger

- 1776 by David McCullough

- The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One by David Kilcullen

- Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics by Martin Ewans

Friday, September 16, 2011

One of the few Web sites that I check on daily is The Art of Manliness (artofmanliness.com), and last Friday, I posted a pair of recommended reading lists from that site called “The Essential Adventure Library.”

While visiting that site earlier today, I ran across another great best-of list that their writers published back in mid-July called “100 Must See Movies: The Essential Men’s Movie Library.”

Movies that made that list include, in alphabetical order:

1. 12 Angry Men2. The African Queen3. All Quiet on the Western Front4. All the President’s Men5. American Beauty6. The Apartment7. Apollo 138. Ben Hur9. The Best Years of Our Lives10. The Bicycle Thief

31. Field of Dreams32. Fight Club33. First Blood34. The French Connection35. From Here to Eternity36. Gandhi37. Gangs of New York38. Gentleman’s Agreement39. Ghostbusters40. Gladiator

41. Glory42. The Godfather (I and II)43. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly44. The Grapes of Wrath45. The Great Escape46. Groundhog Day47. High Noon48. Hoosiers49. The Hustler50. Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade)

51. In the Heat of the Night52. The Iron Giant53. It’s a Wonderful Life54. Jeremiah Johnson55. The Karate Kid56. Last of the Mohicans57. Lawrence of Arabia58. The Longest Day59. Lord of the Rings (The Series)60. Malcolm X

61. The Maltese Falcon62. The Manchurian Candidate63. Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside)64. Mississippi Burning65. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town66. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington67. The Natural68. North by Northwest69. Old Yeller70. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

71. On the Waterfront72. The Outsiders73. Patton74. Pride of the Yankees75. A Raisin in the Sun76. Rebel Without a Cause77. Remember the Titans78. The Right Stuff79. A River Runs Through It80. Rocky

91. The Sting92. A Streetcar Named Desire93. Swingers94. To Kill a Mockingbird95. Top Gun96. True Grit97. Unforgiven98. The Untouchables99. Vertigo100. Zulu

In the end, how many of the movies mentioned above have you had a chance to watch? Which is your favorite and why? Which did you like or dislike and why? Which other movies do you think should have made the list and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more information about the movies mentioned above and for the editors’ comments about the list, see the original list at http://artofmanliness.com/2009/07/13/100-must-see-movies.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Hillcrest High School and Sparta Academy both suffered losses last Friday, but they look to bounce back this week when they go on the road to face Straughn and Ellwood Christian, respectively.

Last year’s game between Hillcrest and Straughn was the first time that the two teams had ever met on the football field, and Straughn barely won that game, 22-15.

Every time that I think of Straughn, I can’t help but think about Russell Gunter.

Gunter became somewhat famous in 1986 when he set the state record for most carries in a single game. He ran the ball 72 times against Coffee Springs, and went on to run the ball 426 times that season for 2,220 yards.

Gunter still holds the state record for most carries in a game. In fact, no one’s come close to breaking it. The second-closest guy on the list is Lee-Huntsville’s Dwone Hicks, who had 52 carries in a game against J.O. Johnson in 1998.

If you’d like to learn more about Gunter and other players like him, you should check out a great little book called “Tales from Alabama Prep Football” by Ron Ingram and Rubin Grant. Ingram and Grant, both long time sports writers in Birmingham, published the book in 2006, and copies of it are still available on Amazon.com.

The book includes a section on Gunter as well as other Alabama prep football legends like Bobby Bowden, John Hannah, Bo Jackson, Terrell Owens, David Palmer, Kenny Stabler, Bart Starr, Pat Sullivan, Pat Trammell and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams.

Tomorrow night’s game between Sparta and Ellwood will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools in football.

Ellwood Christian is a relatively new school, and this season is their first for full varsity football. In 2009 and 2010, they played eight-man football against other small schools like North River Christian, Victory Christian, Heritage Christian, Tabernacle, Tuscaloosa Christian, Victory Baptist, Marion Academy, Flint Hill and New Life Christian School.

Ellwood has yet to win a game this season, but Sparta shouldn’t make the mistake of taking them lightly. They don’t want to be the first team to give up a game to a school that’s never beat a team in 11-man football.

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I’m glad that the NFL season has finally kicked off, and pro fans will have plenty of decent games to watch this Sunday. Games that you won’t want to miss are Jacksonville at the New York Jets and Arizona at Washington. Not counting the games from Monday night, only a handful of teams remain unbeaten – Buffalo, the New York Jets, Houston, Jacksonville, San Diego, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, San Francisco and Arizona.

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Here are my picks for this week’s slate of SEC football games. I like Alabama over North Texas, Arkansas over Troy, Clemson over Auburn, LSU over Mississippi State, Ole Miss over Vanderbilt, Florida over Tennessee, Georgia over Coastal Carolina, Kentucky over Louisville and South Carolina over Navy.

“Warriors defeat Greenville 38-32: The Sparta Academy Warriors claimed their first victory of the season with a 38-32 win over the Greenville Academy Tornadoes last Friday night in Greenville.“(David) Bush was the leading rusher for the Warriors with 121 yards on 22 carries.”Other standout Sparta players in that game included Lee Booker, Jared Brogden, Derek Faulkner, Kyle Johnston and John McKenzie.

“The Hillcrest Jaguars moved to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in area play with a big 42-8 win over the Monroe County Tigers last Friday in Evergreen.“Running backs Sedrick and Fredrick Rudolph accounted for three touchdowns and linebacker Jason Watkins returned a blocked punt for another score as the Jags built a 27-0 halftime lead.“Stephen Branch and LaCheston Moore added third quarter TDs to give the Jags a 42-0 lead.“Demetrius Etheridge kicked two extra points, Seth McIntyre had a two-point conversion run, and Ronald Grace tossed a two-point PAT pass to Sedrick Rudolph during the Jags’ winning evening.“J.R. and Jason Watkins, Sam Fountain, Kelvin Fluker, John Nettles and Reco Williams led another strong defensive effort for Hillcrest.“The Jaguars have given up only three touchdowns in three games, with two of those scores coming as a result of offensive miscues.”

27 YEARS AGOSEPT. 20, 1984

“Aggies win 3rd over Sumter: The Evergreen Aggies won their third game of the season with a 41-6 win over Sumter County of York.“Some of the top players for Evergreen on offense were Andrae McMillan with 11 carries for 168 yards, QB Darrin Bradley who went 4-4-0 with three touchdown passes and Fredrick Middleton who caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.”Other standout players for Evergreen that night included Howard Jones, Marion Oliver and Dewan Salter.

“Repton defeats Yellow Jackets: The Repton Bulldogs ran their record to 3-0 on the year last Friday night in the WEGN and Evergreen Courant’s game of the week, when they defeated the Lyeffion Yellow Jackets by the score of 23-2 at Mabry L. Covin Field.”Standout Repton players in that game included Winston Davison Jr., Mitchell Rankins and John Thompson Jr.Standout Lyeffion players in the game included Michael Bledsoe Jr. and Joe Mixon. 42 YEARS AGOSEPT. 18, 1969

“The Evergreen Aggies blasted a big Monroe County High School team here Friday night 20-6 to notch their second straight win of the season. An overflow crowd was on hand long before kickoff time for Evergreen’s home opener.“Coach Wendell Hart’s team used a ball control offense to grind out two first half touchdowns for a 13-0 lead. The Tigers went into an unbalanced line in the second half, that the Aggies failed to pick up for a while, and got back into the game, but Evergreen came on strong, driving 89 yards for a clinching score in the final minutes.“The line showed much improvement on blocking assignments over the Atmore performance. They were opening up some nice holes although outweighed greatly by the huge Tiger line.“(Larry) Peacock came up with his finest performance as he, (Hollis) Tranum and (Jimmy) Bell sparked the runners. Larry got off fast and ran tough as he netted 83 yards on 17 carries. Hollis had two big runs as he traveled 66 on 14 tries. Jimmy, a marked man on whom Monroeville keyed all night, did the toughest running of the night as he battled for 55 on 17 carries. (Eric) Pugh flashed brillance on his two carries and picked up 10 yards.“If you name a standout on defense, you name all of ‘em. Coach Hart and assistants Mike Bledsoe, Charles Branum and Mickey Goneke termed it ‘a fine team effort.’ Ernest Shipp, Tim Skipper, Eddie Ralls, Reggie Smith, Jimmy Hamiter, John Brantley, Ronald Halford, Tranum, Pugh, Bell, (Larry) Thomas and Peacock were all in the thick of it.”

57 YEARS AGOSEPT. 16, 1954

“2500 Persons Watch Aggies Crush Tigers in Rough Contest: The Evergreen Aggies struck like lightning, scoring twice in less than two minutes, midway of the first quarter and then coasted in for a 26-12 victory over the Bay Minette Tigers last Friday night.“Perhaps the largest crowd ever assembled in Brooks Stadium watched the long rough game marked by numerous penalties and poor officiating. More than 2,300 paid admissions plus bands, teams, etc. brought the crowd to upwards of 2,500 persons.”“(Buck) Lewis led the Aggie ball carriers with 113 yards in five carries for 26-yard per average. Other standout players for Evergreen that night included Ward Alexander, Timmy Boykin, Jimmy Frazier, Wayne Frazier, Charlie Roberts and Richard Taylor.

“Coach Albert Arnold’s Repton Bulldogs start off their 1954 football season with a road trip to Coffeeville tomorrow (Friday).“Repton’s attack will be built around the hard running of full back Eddie Kelly and the shiftyness of speedy Floyd Morgan. Tommy Nall will handle the quarterbacking chores and Terry Nall will get the starting nod at the right halfback slot.”Other players on Repton’s team that year included William Ashcraft, Ray Blackwell, Billy Farish, Charles Lee, Lowell Lee, Johnny McInnis, Cleveland Morris, Jerry Nall, Gerald Owens, Wendell Roberson, Selvyn Robinson, Braxton Ryland, Clinton Ryland, Thomas Salter, Bert Stacey and Warner Watson.